Member of Parliament for Machinga East Esther Jolobala has accused Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA) of failing to adequately assist disaster victims in her constituency, saying DODMA gave victims rice after they asked for materials to construct temporary houses.
Jolobala made the remarks in Parliament on Thursday after Member of Parliament for Dowa Central Darlington Harawa moved a motion on disaster response.
Harawa’s motion said the house should ask Minister of Finance to consider devolving the district emergency fund to constituency level and that in so doing must issue appropriate rules and regulations to guide constituencies on how to access and account for emergency
The motion said the resolution was to ensure effective and timely response to natural disaster which affect communities at constituency levels, considering the delays that ensue when communities wait for assistance coordinated and implemented at District level when natural disasters befall them.
In her contribution, Jolobola said DODMA has been politicizing the process and this is affecting the people who are in need of the resources.
“Currently people of my Constituency are still at Chinyasa and Mpiranjala Primary School camping after being left homeless due to floods. What l am asking the government is that it should consider providing plastic papers so that they can construct temporary houses while coming up with something to construct permanent houses.
“I have been requesting the Dodma officials to come to our rescue but they only came to provide the people with 20kgs of Rice which is not enough for the victims yet my fellow members of parliament are being assisted fairly,” she said.
Mpiranjara camp has 123 people while Chinsasa has 167 people.
